As a living kidney donor, Stephanie Morris, Founder and Lead Instructor at The Safety Umbrella, firmly believes that her purpose in life is to serve others. Her mission is to empower individuals and organizations to confidently handle any emergency situation by providing high-quality, hands-on education in life-saving skills through CPR and first aid training. With a master’s degree in organizational leadership and a calm, supportive approach to teaching, Stephanie has completed rigorous training in CPR, First Aid and AED through the American Heart Association. 
She is also a recent retiree from General Motors as an Industrial Hygienist, testing air quality to keep employees safe and as an Ergonomist, ensuring that team members or employees are not working in awkward postures or installing parts that exceed force limits – this reduces the potential for workplace injuries. She is also certified as an OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer for General Industry.
Stephanie’s journey into CPR training began as an OSHA Instructor at Lansing Community College. Her students needed CPR as a part of their curriculum and she decided to be “the whole package” by marketing her services not only to her students but to the public. She has worked with individuals, families and various organizations across multiple industries, including Home Helpers Homecare. She offers classes to Caregivers and tailors her courses to meet the specific needs of each group.
As a minority and woman-owned small business, Stephanie found great value in SupplierGateway’s Enhanced Digital Certification (EDC). She learned about SG EDC at her first entrepreneurial networking event and sought advice from other small-business owners. After additional research, Stephanie felt that an EDC would be beneficial for her own company. It has opened up opportunities that would otherwise not be available.
“You can never fail if you try. Celebrate every small win, every accomplishment. This will keep your drive going. And also, remember to take a break – owning your own business is a 24/7 commitment – it is important to practice work/life balance, especially as a woman.” – Stephanie Morris, Founder and Lead Instructor at The Safety Umbrella
Stephanie’s Advice for Other Minority and Woman-Owned Small Businesses
- Within your industry, find other women, reach out to them and ask if they would mentor you or allow you to shadow them. This enables women to help each other, lift each other up and support each other.
- Use all available resources, such as: The Small Business Administration, APEX (used to be PTAC), in-person networking events and have a solid marketing/business development plan.
- You can never fail if you try. Celebrate every small win, every accomplishment. This will keep your drive going. And also, remember to take a break – owning your own business is a 24/7 commitment – it is important to practice work/life balance, especially as a woman.
